Leslie Jacobs

Leslie Rosenthal Jacobs (born 1959, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an education reform advocate, business executive, and philanthropist. Born in New Orleans and a graduate of Cornell University, she built her family's small, independent insurance agency into one of the largest in the South, before merging the Rosenthal Agency with Hibernia National Bank (now Capital One). While President of Rosenthal Agency, Jacobs worked with the business community and the legislature to create the Louisiana Workers Compensation Corporation (LWCC) and served on its inaugural board of directors. The LWCC solved a state workers compensation crisis and today Louisiana has competitive and stable workers compensation rates.^[1] She went on to become a co-founder of Strategic Comp, a workers compensation insurance company that sold to Great American in 2008.^[2]

Jacobs has been active in the New Orleans business and startup community serving as past chair of GNO, Inc., a non-profit economic development corporation dedicated to cultivating the Greater New Orleans area's economy, the vice-chair of the and CEO and co-founders of the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region.

Jacobs has been engaged in education reform for more than 35 years. She began as a business partner with an elementary school, served as an elected member of the Orleans Parish School Board, and then, as a member of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) for twelve years, first appointed by Governor Foster (R) and then re-appointed by Governor Blanco (D).^[3] Jacobs is credited as one of the prime architects for reform of the Louisiana Public Schools throughout the 1990s and 2000s.^[4] Jacobs was honored as the “Twenty People Who Influenced Louisiana from 1981-2001” by Louisiana Life Magazine in 2001, and Forbes awarded Jacobs the “World's Most Powerful Educators” award in 2011.

Jacobs is married to Scott Jacobs. She has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Jacobs began work at her family's independent insurance agency in 1981 after graduating from Cornell University. Under her leadership, the company became one of the top 100 insurance brokers in the United States.^[5] In 2000, Hibernia National Bank purchased the agency, and Jacobs became President of the merged Hibernia Rosenthal Agency.^[6] She remained president until 2002. In 2006, Hibernia, the largest deposit holder in Southeast Louisiana, was purchased by Capital One and re-branded under the Capital One banner.^[7] Jacobs was also co-founder and owner of Strategic Comp, a multi-state workers compensation insurance company that was purchased in 2008 by Great American Insurance.^[8]

In 1992, Jacobs ran for a position on the Orleans Parish School Board from District 6, a majority African-American district comprising much of southwestern Orleans Parish, including parts of Dixon, Uptown, Mid-City and the Black Pearl. She ran in an open primary and placed first, taking 29% of the vote, or about 3,575 votes. In the run-off election, Jacobs received 13,909 votes and defeated fellow Democrat Henry Julien 59% to 41%. She served on the board until 1996, and in her final year, served as board vice-president.^[9]

Jacobs was appointed in 1996 to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and served as a gubernatorial appointee until 2008, serving both Republican Governor Mike Foster^[3] and Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco.^[10] Jacobs is credited as one of the prime architects for reform of Louisiana's Public Schools throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including developing and implementing the number one ranked school accountability system in the country and implementing major steps to improve teacher quality.^[11] According to the 2009 Education Watch Report released by the Education Trust, Louisiana is the only state in which the gap between African American and white students has narrowed significantly in both 4th grade reading and 8th grade math.^[12]

As part of Louisiana's school accountability system, Jacobs was instrumental in creating the Recovery School District (RSD) in 2003. The RSD is administered by the Department of Education, and is designed to take over academically failing schools.^[13]

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish Schools were the worst performing in the state. 63% of the Parish's schools were failing.^[14] After Hurricane Katrina, Jacobs worked with Governor Blanco and State Superintendent Cecil Picard to place most of the Orleans public schools into the Recovery School District and to recruit high quality charter operators, like the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), to come to New Orleans and be part of the rebuilding.^[15]

Today, New Orleans has 99% of public school students in charter schools which is the largest in the nation.^[16] Student performance has improved significantly in all measures: performance on state tests, reduction in the drop out rate, and percentage of seniors qualifying for Louisiana's merit based scholarship program.^[17] Doug Harris, Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at Tulane University wrote in a 2018 report: "To summarize, the reforms increased outcomes on average and seem to have improved equity as well. Black and low-income students saw higher test scores, high graduation rates, and college results."^[18]

President Barack Obama has praised the rejuvenation of Orleans Parish schools as a model for the rest of the country, stating: "And because a lot of your public schools opened themselves up to new ideas and innovative reforms, we're actually seeing an improvement in overall achievement that is making the city a model for reform nationwide."^[19]

Jacobs is on the board of several organizations and civic causes, including:

• Past chair of GNO Inc., a non-profit economic development corporation dedicated to cultivating the Greater New Orleans area's economy
• Vice-chair of the New Orleans Business Alliance
• Vice-chair of the New Orleans Business Council
• CEO of the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region.

Jacobs ran for Mayor in the 2010 New Orleans mayoral election. Her platform included: safe streets, better schools and honorable government.^[20] Jacobs decided to exit the race when Mitch Landrieu made a surprise entry into the field.^[21]

Jacobs co-founded YouthForce NOLA in 2015 and currently serves as chairman. YouthForce is an education, business, and civic collaboration that prepares New Orleans public school students for successful pursuit of high-wage, high-demand career pathways and facilitates systems change to ensure equitable outcomes. YouthForce connects young people to economic prosperity by building pathways and creating access to work experience, technical skills and soft skills.^[22]

Jacobs co-founded Belltower in 2019. Belltower is a nonprofit organization committed to expanding postsecondary success for New Orleans public school graduates. Belltower supports programs at the University of New Orleans and University of Louisiana Lafayette for students from low-income households. It also supports Trellis hybrid College offered by the Cowen Institute at Tulane University and one-year college and career readiness offered by Next Level NOLA and Launch. (11)^[23]

Jacobs co-founded the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit evergreen venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region, in 2010. The fund exists to accelerate the growth of early stage, pre-revenue companies looking for proof-of-concept capital. The Startup Fund's mission is to create jobs and economic prosperity for the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region by providing seed capital and business assistance to early-stage firms that demonstrate significant growth potential.^[24]

Jacobs has received numerous honors including:

• "World's Most Powerful Educators," Forbes^[4]
• "Top 50 Achievers," Jewish Daily Forward

Honors leaders and innovators in the American Jewish community.

• Distinguished Service to State Government Award, National Association of State Boards of Education

Given annually to a state board of education member in recognition of outstanding service to public education.^[25]

• Distinguished Service Award in 2001, National Governor's Association

Given by governors to their states' most valuable civil servants and private citizens, this award emphasizes the important contributions private citizens make to state government.^[26] When nominating Jacobs for this award, Governor Foster stated, "The conversation about education in Louisiana is no longer about who to blame for our failures, but about making sure each child learns and each school succeeds and recognizing their improvement. Leslie Jacobs changed that conversation; Leslie Jacobs changed the way public education in Louisiana works. I am grateful for her service and proud to nominate her for this honor."

• 1995 Delegate to the British-American Project

One of 24 delegates selected to represent the United States in a conference with 24 British leaders to develop mutual understanding between future leaders of both nations.

• "100 Leading Women," Business Insurance

Recognizes the top 100 women executives in the insurance industry.

• Citizen Leadership Award in 2014, International Economic Development Council^[27]

• "Twenty People Who Influenced Louisiana 1981-2001," Louisiana Life Magazine
• "Co-New Orleanian of the Year," Gambit Weekly^[28]
• "Whitney Young, Jr. Award", Boy Scouts of America
• Tricentennial Award (2018), NOLA.com^[29]
• Alumna of the Year, 2013, Isidore Newman School^[30]
• Role Model, Young Leadership Council (YLC)^[31]
• Business Hall of Fame Role Model, Junior Achievement^[32]
• Role Model, YWCA
• Outstanding Young Woman, Louisiana Jaycee
• "Women of the Year," New Orleans CityBusiness^[33]
• Board of Directors Award for community service, Louisiana Association of Fundraising Executives